The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 62: Returning to Clegane Lands

The Westerlands has three abundances.

First, abundance of gold. The Westerlands is wealthy due to its gold, and Lord Tywin's wealth is the highest in the entire country.

Second, abundance of mountains.

The northern, eastern, and southwestern regions are filled with continuous mountain ranges stretching for thousands of miles.

The capital, Casterly Rock, is built within an entire stone mountain that is twenty miles long.

Third, abundance of miners.

Because there are many mountains and much gold, miners are the Westerlands' most distinctive occupation, even more numerous than the farmers, hunters, and fishermen combined.

*

A three-headed dog banner fluttering in the wind slowly emerged from the Lion's Mouth of Casterly Rock. The banner bearer was a Black Stone Rider from Clegane Lands. The orderly cavalry advanced in neat columns.

Behind the cavalry was a tall, luxurious carriage, with six white seashells as crests on the carriage curtains. Six white seashells are the sigil of House Westerling.

Gregor and Earl Gawen rode their horses beside the carriage.

Miss Jeyne sat inside the carriage. Behind the carriage were eight cavalry guards from House Westerling, arranged in two rows.

Not far behind the eight guards were dozens of professional gold miners that Gregor had hired in Casterly Rock.

The Golden Tooth of House Sarrett already belonged to Gregor Clegane. It was legitimate for him to hire professional miners to mine gold, without needing to conceal anything anymore.

*

After Lord Tywin took Jeyne as his foster daughter, he had her stay in Casterly Rock. He would not let her return to the Crag before she married Gregor. Earl Gawen was reluctant to part with his daughter and decided not to return with the northern 'neighbors'. Instead, he changed his mind and, at Ser Gregor's invitation, went to see Gregor Clegane's lands with his daughter.

Without Earl Gawen's knowledge, Gregor worked hard to recover the land that Earl Gawen had been cheaply sold and mortgaged, threatening the nobles who had taken advantage of him to spit out the fat they had swallowed. This caused Earl Gawen's view of Gregor to fundamentally reverse.

Don't think that those 'neighbors' took the initiative to approach Earl Gawen to show their goodwill after Gregor issued his threat. In fact, it was unlikely that those nobles would willingly give up the fat they had swallowed. Their low posture did not mean they would greatly concede. The more smiling and bowing a person is, the more scheming they are in their heart, and the more one must be wary. Earl Gawen estimated that he would have to rely on Gregor's force to recover all the foundations left by his ancestors.

Negotiating with those nobles one by one should be smoother. He was afraid that they would collude after returning to confer. Earl Gawen estimated that he would not be able to buy back those lands at the original price without severely beating one or two nobles to establish his authority.

Earl Gawen decided to have a good talk with Gregor about this matter. Naturally, he hoped to pay as little money as possible, preferably the original price, which was ridiculously low. But those 'neighbors' spoke beautiful words while having different thoughts in their hearts.

If he had to rely on force to establish his authority in the end, the strength of the Crag and Clegane Keep would not be enough.

This was a very specific problem.

But no matter how much he speculated and guessed in private, Earl Gawen knew that he could not do without Gregor Clegane to take back the land he had cheaply sold.

When Gregor invited Earl Gawen and Miss Jeyne to visit Clegane, Earl Gawen asked Lord Tywin for instructions, and Lord Tywin agreed.

It was also good to let his foster daughter Jeyne see Ser Gregor's small territory. Otherwise, if she was just bored in Casterly Rock for a month, Jeyne would not have any fun. Tywin himself was an extremely boring person. He could live with Jeyne in Casterly Rock and not say a word to her for three days. Jeyne's sister Cersei Lannister, older brother Jaime Lannister, and second brother Tyrion Lannister were not in Casterly Rock. They were visiting the Starks in Winterfell, located three thousand miles away in the North, and no one was there to play with Jeyne.

A month was neither long nor short, but it would seem very long if there was no one to talk to usually.

So, after hiring the miners, Gregor returned to Clegane Keep, which was not very far away, with the Jeyne and her father.

Coming out of the Lion's Mouth of Casterly Rock, there were three main roads: the River Road to the east, the Gold Road to the southeast, and the Coast Road to the south. Gregor's men could take either the Gold Road or the Coast Road, as the distance was about the same. Both roads required a detour to enter Clegane Lands.

They took the Coast Road this time.

The Coast Road would pass through Lannisport, the largest city in the Westerlands.

Two hours later, the cavalry and carriage arrived at Lannisport. The dozens of miners Gregor had hired were far behind and completely out of sight. Gregor did not send cavalry to urge the workers on, nor was he afraid that the workers would take a detour and run away. He could afford to lose the small amount of the workers' advance commission, but once he found out about desertion, the problem would become very serious. The miner's ancestors for eighteen generations would be beaten until they shat by Gregor's men.

Not a single miner from Casterly Rock who dared to take Gregor's wages and deposits would run away, nor would they dare to run away.

The team stopped on the road outside Lannisport to rest, eating dry food and drinking wine. It wouldn't be dry food and water; soldiers in this world all drink wine. The wine was not pure, and the alcohol content was not as high as the wine in Earth's civilization.

Jeyne also got out of the car to get some fresh air. She held the kitten Angela in her arms. The beautiful woman and the well-behaved cat were particularly pleasing to the eye.

*

"Dunsen," Gregor shouted.

Dunsen, who was chatting and laughing with a group of brothers, immediately ran over.

"Lead the brothers back. Miss Jeyne, Earl Gawen, and I are going to Lannisport."

"Yes, sir. When will you be back?"

"Come back for dinner this afternoon. Tell Lady Alan to prepare food to entertain the distinguished guests."

"Yes, sir."

Sweetmouth Rafford Clegane stayed in Casterly Rock to train, promote, and teach the military whistle method of controlling the army, and would not return until a month later. With Sweetmouth gone, Executioner Dunsen became the captain of the team, and Polliver became the vice-captain.

Jeyne, who was eating by the carriage, was quite surprised. She looked at her father, Earl Gawen. Earl Gawen shrugged his shoulders, making an expression that he didn't know either.

Gawen and Jeyne did not know in advance that Gregor was going to Lannisport with them.

"Ser Gregor, are we going to Lannisport?" Jeyne asked.

"Yes!" Gregor's rough, booming voice naturally lowered an octave.

This small detail made Miss Jeyne feel quite satisfied.

She had not spent much time with Gregor, but the small details in his words and deeds were full of consideration and care for Jeyne, which made the small warmth in Jeyne's heart continue. She was also constantly updating her understanding of Ser Gregor.

"Ser, may I ask what we are going to Lannisport for?"

This was also a question that Earl Gawen wanted to know.

"We are going to see someone who is very important to you and me, Miss Jeyne," Gregor said softly, as polite as a well-mannered nobleman.

*

Recommend "A Song of Ice and Fire: Winter is Coming," already a long read. Multi-line narrative group portrait style, grand perspective, can try it out.

Thank you to South Pole White Rabbit for the reward, a small reward is pleasant, thank you.